Craig Smith, North West Leicestershire's Conservative parliamentary candidate, is urging local residents to take part in the district council's local plan consultation.

The consultation will determine where new homes are built in area the until 2040, unless a change of government changes planning law.

Leicestershire County Councillor Smith said: "It's important that local people have their say on where new development should take place in our area.

"North West Leicestershire has never stepped back from taking our share of new homes and it is important that we plan for them where they can be managed best and complement the provision of infrastructure and local services."

But he added: "The proposed local plan will only be robust under a Conservative government. Labour want to legislate for one and a half times the number of new homes currently being built in North West Leicestershire, and higher numbers will be forced on us from central government if Sir Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister.

"He wants 1.5 million new homes to be built in the first five years of a Labour government, and Sir Peter Soulsby, the Mayor of Leicester, is committed to pushing the city's share of new homes out into rural areas like ours.

"Under a Labour government it would be a case of two knights saying goodnight to the green spaces of North West Leicestershire.

"We need a robust local plan, but the threat of a Labour government and their impact on our area is of far greater concern."

Local residents can find out more about NWLDC's local plan consultation HERE.